Clashing Waves
by Lizzaaa
Summary: For the summer Alexis will be staying with her aunt in Forks. Something about her is different than the other people in this town though, and it has the whole pack on edge. Well, almost the whole pack. During her stay in Forks Jacob Black notices her and takes immediate interest. Unknowingly, his interest in her causes their two worlds to clash... Rated M for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

****I've made revisions for this chapter. Some things have changed. ****

 **~Alexis's POV~**

The fat raindrops splattered persistently against the window of the car as we drove. I hadn't even gotten a glimpse of the sun since coming here because of the constant precipitation. The bleakness of the weather did nothing good for my mood, but instead reminded me of the drastic change of setting I was being pushed through. I was dragged from the warm, sunny beaches in California to this dreary place for the summer to live with my aunt. My mother said I didn't see her enough, which I guess was true, but who could really blame me? Why would I willingly leave my home to come to this cold, damp place?

I rested my head against the window and let out a sigh, watching the blurry scenery through the rain as we passed. This whole town seemed to be made up of thick, monstrous trees; their branches acting as arms that reached out in every direction, trying to hold everything in place. I almost felt trapped as we drove along. I don't know if I'd get used to the overabundance of plantation around here any time soon.

I groaned and looked over to my aunt, who was somehow driving the car through this drenching rain; I don't even know how she was able to see the road due to the heavy downfall. I guess she was pretty used to driving in thick rain since she literally lived in _the rainiest place in the nation._ "Is it always this cold?" I asked, trying to keep the disdain out of my voice. It sounded like I did a pretty good job, I sounded more bored than anything else. My aunt glanced over and flashed her white teeth through her small smile.

"It'll get a little warmer than this as we get further into the summer," she told me, trying to concentrate on driving as she spoke, "But hey, we have beaches here though! That oughta help this place feel more like home!" Being the optimistic person she was, I could tell she was trying to make me look forward to this summer. Her attempts weren't working as well as the two of us would've liked. I didn't know anyone here, so basically all I'd be doing this summer is killing time until I could return to California. So far the only thing about this foreign town that piqued my interest was the mention of beaches. I could always count on the familiar sound of crashing waves and the smell of salt in the air to put me at ease. The salty water that I loved so much always felt amazing as it swirled around me, pulling at my legs as if it were tempting me to wade out further.

I didn't used to love the ocean though, I still remember how terrified I used to be of the water. My fear festered in my worry of drowning since I didn't know how to swim. My parents hadn't taught me the skill, nor did they find someone to give me any lessons. I didn't really need to learn when I was little anyways, considering that when I was a kid we used to live in Kansas – in the middle of a continent with hardly any lakes or rivers. Plus, since we didn't even have a pool, there honestly really was no point in me learning to swim.

The temptation of the salty waters always drew mom in, so it was no surprise when we eventually moved to California simply because mom couldn't stay away from the ocean. She loves the ocean just as much as I do - if not more. After moving to the coast, she spent a lot of her time on the beach. I went with her one time just to collect the shells along the coastline, but I remembered seeing a big, pretty conch sitting just out of my reach below the lazy waves. Of course, that shell was too great of a temptation for little me to resist, so I hesitantly made my way into the water to retrieve it. The salty waves lapped against my legs, and I don't know, something just clicked with me. I loved the feeling of the cool water, of the movement as it ran past me onto shore and scurried back as if it suddenly decided against being on land and wanted to be back where it belonged.

And just like that I started swimming. I remember how deeply I fell in love with the salty ocean water that day – my fear of the water and drowning completely obliterated.

After that day whenever we walked onto the beach, which was pretty often considering the ocean was basically in our backyard, my mother kept a close eye on me. I guess she just wanted to make sure that I didn't dart off into the water and get myself caught in a riptide. Yet for some reason it seemed as if she was observing me, as if she had been watching for something to happen.

My memories were interrupted when my aunt's voice cut through the silence. "Well, this is it, home sweet home," she spoke in her sing-song voice as she pulled into the driveway. I couldn't help but notice there was another car parked in front of the garage.

"Is there someone else here?" I asked, halfway hopeful there was someone here to meet. I didn't know how else I was going to be introducing myself to the people around here, and God help me if I didn't get to know anyone in this town. I'd be so unbelievably bored.

She turned to look at me as she brushed her dark brown hair out of her pale face. "A friend of mine is going to be out of town, and left his car here for you to use while you're here." I raised my eyebrows in surprise. That was pretty generous, and trusting too, since he must have just assumed that I wouldn't crash his car. Which of course I wouldn't do, but still. "Hope you can drive stick shift." Damn, okay so maybe I just would opt out of driving this whole summer. My Aunt must have noticed the expression on my face, because she just chuckled at me and motioned for me to exit the car. "C'mon Alex, you'll love your room!" I smiled at her slightly. Her youthful energy was beginning to get contagious.

I got out of the car and grabbed my bags, then proceeded to follow her into the house. My mom and I had some of my things delivered here in boxes, so I just had a few things to carry with me to the house.

The house was modernly decorated, color schemes accented in every room, but yet it still held a comfortable, laid-back aura. My aunt seemed to be enthusiastic about showing me straight to my room, that much was obvious by the bounce in her step, so I dutifully followed her past the stairs and down to the end of a hall.

"Your room is just over there," my aunt said, pointing to a closed door. "My room is at the top of the stairs if you ever need me." I nodded to her and smiled warmly.

"Thank you, Dianne, I really appreciate it," my smiled widened when I continued, "And you were right, I love the house." Which was true, I actually liked it here inside the house. Outside, however, I could do without the rain and cold. At least in here it was pleasant.

Dianne seemed elated at that and grinned. "I knew you would. I'll leave you to unpack." She waved as she headed towards the other end of the short hallway. "I'll just be in the kitchen if you need me," she called over her shoulder. I listened to her footsteps receding for a few moments before a question popped into my mind.

"Oh hey, Dianne!" I called, taking quick strides in her direction. Dianne was just at the end of the hall now. "Just wondering, would you mind if I went for a walk after I finished unpacking? I'd like to take a look around."

Dianne hesitated for a moment, but smiled and answered, "As long as you're back before it gets dark, go for it. Be careful and try not to get lost, alright?"

Saying alright back, I made my way over to my room. I opened the door and turned on the light, only to be greeted by a pile of boxes sitting beside the queen-sized bed. Feeling discouraged by the amount of work ahead of me, I decided to stall.

I walked into the bathroom and began finger-brushing my golden blonde hair. It was down to just past my shoulder blades, so it took a few minutes to brush through. I stared into my reflection in the mirror, scrutinizing myself. My sun-kissed skin gave me a bit of a warm glow, something that I'm sure the people in this town didn't have. With the lack of sun and all, they all were probably fairly pale. My eyes met my reflection's, their deep blue studying the image in the mirror. I noticed an abundance of green, and realized I could see the window's reflection through the mirror. The rain apparently had stopped falling, so I decided to open the window. When I slid the window open, a rush of salty air breezed in. I closed my eyes and inhaled, instantly feeling more awake and rejuvenated. The ocean was nearby. The sooner I got unpacked, the sooner I could head that way.


	2. Chapter 2

****I've made revisions for this chapter. Some things have changed. ****

 **~Alexis's POV~**

I had finally put everything in its place around my room, and it was no quick task either. It probably took me a good three hours to unpack. My aunt had been kind enough to come over and give me a hand. When we had gotten to the last box, I told her I appreciated the help and would finish up. She gave me one of her welcoming smiles and left me to it.

While I had been putting clothes from this last box into the closet, I picked out a few things I figured would be ideal to wear for my little trek. I was thankful that the rain seemed like it had stopped for a while, but I still planned on wearing something for the chance that I would get caught in the precipitation.

I didn't even bother closing the window as I changed. There were only woods outside the window and my aunt didn't have any neighbors living close by, so it wasn't like any one was going to see me. Besides, I hardly think the birds or squirrels would pay me much attention.

Humming a tune softly to myself, I quickly finished tying my shoes. I was in a brighter mood now, knowing that I had finished the tedious work of moving in. Now I was anxious to get out of this house.

A breeze lazily rolled in through the window, sending a shiver down my spine despite the fact I was wearing a jacket. That gave me an idea. Because it was ground level, and just because I could, I stepped over the window sill and onto the ground outside. Even though I already had permission to leave I felt a little rebellious flare when I did this. I probably should've told Aunt Dianne that I was going on the walk now, but I'd be back before she even noticed I was gone.

I eyed the thick tree line as I debated walking into the dense brush. It didn't look that appealing; the clustered trees loomed above me as if they could intimidate me. And trust me, they kind of were. As I was scanning the line of trees in front of me, I noticed a gap. A closer look revealed it to be an old, worn path. That would probably be my best bet if I didn't want to get lost.

Stuffing my hands into my jacket's pockets, I began walking on the path as I made my way through the woods. I didn't particularly like walking through here, especially considering that for all I knew I could run into a bear or wolf, or hell for all I know maybe some rabid squirrel or whatever, but something tugged me in this direction. I was too curious of the new setting I was surrounded by to go back. Besides, trails would be way more fun than walking along sidewalks though the town.

I walked for a while, and with each passing stride I could practically smell the salt in the air. I closed my eyes as I walked, breathing in the familiar smell. It had only been a day, and already I was homesick. My feet kept walking even though I still hadn't opened my eyes. If I didn't look around at my surroundings, I could almost pretend I was back in California.

But I wasn't. I was all the way up here in Forks.

With I sigh, I opened my eyes and froze. Somehow I had led myself onto a cliff, and I was looking down on dark swirling water many, many feet below me. The water looked restless, swashing around as if it were trying to reach something as wave after wave broke against the cliff. I was so far up that not a single drop of the spray reached me. Instead, I felt a few other drops fall on me. Looking up, I practically groaned when I saw the dark clouds above me begin to release their rain.

What started off as a few drops turned into an increasing down pour with each passing moment. How the heck did the weather manage to shift so suddenly? I whipped the hood of my jacket up over my head and hurried back home. I'd have to try to get the hang of predicting the sudden rain showers here. Just as I was thinking this, I stepped into a major puddle along the trail, soaking my foot. A groan drawled out from me. Just my luck.

 **~Jake's POV~**

Mud coated my legs, plastering my fur together. The rain just kept coming today, only letting up for a few breaks before it continued to drench this town. Normally I would have assigned patrols to take place after the heavy rain, but we had to patrol regularly because of the increase of vampire scents lingering around our boarders. There was only so much we could do, however, with the weather acting like this.

 _Anything so far?_ I asked the others in my pack.

Embry's voice answered first. _I can't tell, this rain is washing away all the scents. It looks clear though._

 _Seth?_ I asked, _you've got the best sense of smell out of all of us. Can you pick anything up?_

There was a pause before he answered, and I guessed he was sniffing the air around him. _Nope, absolutely nothing._

I sighed. _Alright, we're done patrolling for now. We'll continue when the downpour stops._

The others accepted the orders immediately and phased out soon after that. The static noise in my head told me as much. I couldn't blame them, I was wanting to get out of this heavy rain too. I knew that I'd get back sooner if I stayed a wolf until I neared the outskirts of town, but when I got there I'd have to change back or risk being sighted by locals.

Beginning my way back, I took advantage of having my mind to myself. It was still annoying at times when others could listen in on my thoughts, but it came with the job. The pack listened in to my thoughts much more carefully than others though, considering I was their alpha. They couldn't really ignore my thoughts, whatever I was thinking came out louder and clearer than anyone else's.

I've gotten used to being alpha pretty quickly; the role just came easily to me. Sam had stepped down and given me my rightful place as alpha several years ago. I still respect his input though, and have made him my beta. During these past few years, our pack has grown little by little, but Sam and I keep things running smoothly.

The rain had slowed into a soft drizzle and eventually stopped, but I knew it would be back before too long. It was almost like a sixth sense, I could just feel it coming. I could see it coming too; the dark and ominous clouds made it pretty obvious.

I felt a breeze pick up as I made my way back, which suddenly made me thankful for this insane warmth we got as wolves. I guess anyone else would've been freezing if they had been out in the rain like we had been. I lifted my head to inhale the familiar, fresh air that always wafted through these woods. Traces lingered of a woodsy smell, earth, and salt from the ocean. And… something else…

My senses snapped to attention as I inhaled a deeper breath. Could I be picking up on a leech? I growled at the thought. It was faint, but there definitely was something there, no, _someone_? I couldn't tell, but I felt a sharp tug in the pit of my stomach. This wasn't a vampire, but I had no idea what it was. It smelled amazing though. Once I figured out which direction this scent was coming from I hurried towards it. I wasn't even thinking, something primal was driving me right now. It didn't matter where the source of this scent was coming from. I was going to track it down.

I followed the scent until I reached a path. Here it was definite that whoever this scent belonged to had walked along here. I didn't have to follow the scent as it wafted in the breeze anymore, now I could just let it lead me itself along the path the person had taken. My feet carried me along almost instinctively as my lungs kept inhaling this addicting smell. I couldn't stop breathing it in…

Before too long though, the clouds started dropping their rain again. _No_ , I thought, _the scent will wash away!_ I quickened my pace just as it started raining heavier. _Crap…_

The rain had made scent start to get spotty in some areas, causing me to have to search for a spot where it started up again. It was like following a dashed line as it was being erased. As it got harder to trace, I broke out into a run. I _had_ to find the source, something inside of me propelled me to do so.

The dark clouds had everything drenched with their heavy, fat raindrops by the time I came to the edge of a cliff. I searched around for more of the trail, but the rain had washed away all traces. Frustrated, I let a low growl rumble through me as I lowered my head to the ground, breathing in as much of the smell as I could before it disappeared completely. I wanted to memorize it the way it smelled like sea salt and lotus flowers, how it was the best thing I had ever smelled, how the primal animal's instincts inside of me longed for more.

I had never experienced this sort of reaction before. What I felt towards this _smell_ was almost more than I had ever felt for anyone, Bella included. _Bella_. I had almost forgotten all about her since she "changed", but I still remembered the memories from when she was human. How much I had felt towards her and how much time we had spent together, heck, I even remember the time I kissed her. But all that somehow felt wrong now…

Holy fuck, did this scent belong to what I think it belongs to? Did I finally cross paths with what was mine?

Whatever this scent led me to was what I wanted. Whatever it was, it felt right.


	3. Chapter 3

****I've made revisions for this chapter. Some things have changed. ****

 **~Alexis's POV~**

 _*A few days later*_

The day I arrived in Forks was one exceptionally rainy day, even by this town's standards. Or at least that's what Dianne told me. These past few days have been drier than that particular day and for that I was thankful. It was still a far cry from the blissful weather back home, but I'd take this weather over that first day's any time.

I didn't know anybody here, so basically all I've been doing this whole time was just trying to keep myself busy. It really was starting to get boring in that house with nothing to do. This morning I had actually gotten so desperate to do something that I offered to go do the grocery shopping for my aunt.

That's how I had wound up in the little store here in town, checking up and down the aisles for the items on the shopping list. It wasn't very busy here; in fact, the only people here were a couple employees, myself, and two boys from the reservation that had just walked through the doors. Dianne had told me about how we lived right outside their reservation, so I figured it was just a matter of time before I saw some of them.

When I glanced over at them I did a double take. They were _huge!_ The two were tall, broad, and _very_ muscular. They seemed to know just how big they were as they walked around with an intimidating aura about them. It sent a shiver down my spine just looking at their stoic faces. Damn, I wonder if the whole reservation looked like variations of Dwayne Johnson or the Hulk. Maybe it was just those two, it'd be hard to imagine everyone was like that.

Before they could notice my staring, I tore my eyes away from them and instead focused on the shopping list I held in my hand. After a few moments though, I couldn't help myself and casually glanced back up. They both looked so similar, same haircuts, same tattoos in the same place, even the same way of walking. The only obvious difference between the two was their age. That, and the sudden change of expression on one of their faces.

The younger of the two wore a slightly confused look on his face as he inhaled deeply, his eyes scanning the store. Suddenly his eyes locked with mine, and under his intense gaze I felt goosebumps rise on my skin. Then he ripped his gaze from mine and started talking in a low voice to the person he walked in with. I couldn't pick out a word from his almost muted voice. If it weren't for his mouth moving, I wouldn't have been able to guess that he was even speaking.

Bewildered, I raised a brow at this scene, then dismissed it and went back to my list. _It's a small town, they probably know everyone here but me_ , I thought to myself. _They probably don't recognize me._ That was actually a pretty reasonable explanation for how they acted, I suppose. Earlier when I had first walked in, the employees had looked surprised, then after studying me for a few moments started talking in hushed tones.

The employees weren't exactly subtle about it, I didn't have to try and overhear their conversation to know they were talking about me. Now that some of the residents here have seen me, I imagine rumors of a 'new girl' will be circulating around this small town before too long.

I guess this town doesn't really see a lot of unfamiliar people. Hopefully that meant they would be eager to reach out and invite me to do stuff with them, it'd give me some way to be social and allow me a break from boredom and isolation.

 _I should probably get back to shopping_ , I thought to myself. Another shiver ran down my spine as goosebumps rose on my arms. Confused, I glanced up and looked around. _Maybe this store has a draft?_ Just then I noticed both of those guys from the reservation eyeing me with their intense gazes _. Or maybe it's just them…_ I felt a confused look cross over my face as I looked back at them. They held my gaze without faltering, and for stupid reasons I returned it. No way was I going to look away first, _they_ challenged _me_. Plus I was here first, that counted for something didn't it?

 _What the heck am I doing?_ I snapped back to my senses. Here I was, standing in a store, basically having a staring contest with these two huge guys. They probably thought I was weird now. I certainly thought _they_ were…

Breaking eye contact with them, I turned on my heel and casually began to walk further down the aisle. There was only one item left on my list, all I had to do was get this brand of cereal and check out. I was already in the right aisle for the cereal, now I just needed to find it…

And there was the brand I needed, on the very top shelf. I almost groaned. Being just 5'5", you could say reaching the top shelf was almost like mission impossible for me. I let out a sigh, already expecting to not be able to reach it, but decided to try anyway.

Reaching up as far as I could, I found my fingertips could just barely brush against the box. I inhaled and tried to reach further, but I just couldn't grasp the dang box.

Just then a tenor voice spoke from behind me. "Need a hand?" I gasped and whirled around, only to see the younger of those two guys with an amused look on his face. The corner of his mouth twitched, as if he were trying not to laugh. His friend that he had walked into the store with was a few yards behind him.

"Actually, I need to be taller," I replied, a bit of sarcasm in my voice.

This time a sweet smile crossed the guy's mouth, which made him look child-like in a way. "Or you just need someone tall enough." As he said this, he reached up and easily grabbed the box I was after. Bringing it down, he looked at it and raised an amused eyebrow. "Captain Crunch?"

Smirking, I held up the shopping list and merely responded with, "It's on the list." I didn't really feel the need to elaborate, or even to converse with him. These guys had acted so weird earlier, it was hard for me to believe they were trying to act so normal now. I glanced over this guy's shoulder at his friend. He hadn't even said a word yet. Instead he just studied me with a calculating look on his face, his shoulders slightly tensed.

The guy in front of me handed me the box of cereal. I accepted it, not breaking eye contact with the other person. Noticing where I was looking, the younger of the two motioned towards him. "That's Paul," he introduced casually, then motioned towards himself, "and I'm Seth."

My eyes left Paul's and landed on Seth's. "I'm Alexis," I supplied my name, but was hesitant to do much else. Aside from the fact that these guys were lined with muscle and towered over me, something about being in their presence put me on edge. Try as I might though, I couldn't quite put my finger on it…

Seth had opened his mouth to respond, but Paul spoke before him. "You're new here?" He had phrased it as a question, but it was clearly a statement.

"Yeah." Even though I had answered his 'question', he looked almost impatient as he stared at me expectantly. Getting the hint, I supplied more. "I moved in with my aunt a few days ago."

"Really?" Seth spoke now, "We might know her, what's her name?" Even though both of them almost seemed to be prodding for information, between the two of them I liked Seth more. He was nicer than Paul.

I was more willing to speak to him than I was to Paul. "Dianne Walker. Her house is just outside of the reservation." Seth nodded, seeming to be familiar with the name. In a town this small, people probably knew everyone who lived here.

Paul apparently decided he wanted more information and impatiently asked, "How long do you plan on staying here?" I almost rolled my eyes. Geez, that guy sounded like he was accusing me of kicking his dog or something.

"Are you guys trying to have a conversation or an interrogation?" I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm. I noticed Paul's eyes narrowed at that comment, but I brushed past him and began to walk towards the check-out counters. "Nice meeting you guys," I called over my shoulder. To be honest I hadn't been that thrilled to have meet them, I'm sure that much was apparent to the both of them.

I walked towards the only counter that had an employee waiting. Setting down my basket full of items, I glanced behind me and watched for a few moments as Paul and Seth browsed the aisles. When the man at the counter had finished ringing up the items, I paid and grabbed the grocery bags. I left without turning to look back at those two, eager to get away from the uncomfortable feeling I felt in their presence.


	4. Chapter 4

****I've made revisions for this chapter. Some things have changed. ****

 **~Alexis's POV~**

Before I headed home after getting groceries, I decided to make a quick run into the sporting goods store. I wanted to walk along that trail that let me to the cliff again, so I figured I should get some good hiking boots. Preferably some water proof ones. The one time I walked the trail my feet had gotten soaked and my shoes caked in mud.

A bell rang as I walked into the store, and I noticed an employee around my age popped his head up from whatever he was doing to look. Almost instantly after he saw me he smiled. "Hi, can I help you find anything?"

I was about to shake my head and tell him I could manage on my own, but I noticed how empty the store was. The poor guy was probably bored out of his mind. "Um, can you show me where the hiking boots are?"

The guy gave me an easy smile and motioned for me to follow him. "Sure, they're right this way." I followed him as he began to lead me further into the store. "So," he turned to glance at me, "you're into hiking?" I shrugged my shoulders.

"Not really, but I'm starting to take an interest."

"So you're new at hiking then," he replied. He then turned to look at me with yet another smile on his face, giving me a quick once-over. "I'm guessing you're new here too?"

I smirked at him as I replied. "Is it really that obvious?" The guy laughed quietly.

"Well, yeah. Everyone in this town knows everyone else, and well," he paused and shrugged his shoulders, "I've never seen you around before." I nodded my head at that. I pretty much had figured out how easy it was for people to tell that I was new, so I wasn't really surprised.

As we walked through the store, the employee talked about the town and the different hiking trails that were nearby. I listened briefly, but because I already knew which trail I wanted to take the others didn't really interest me. So I ended up tuning him out, nodding every now and then so it wasn't obvious I had stopped listening.

I began to actually pay attention to the employee again when he stopped in front of a display of hiking boots. "Alright, here they are," he said, motioning to the display. I said my thanks and he walked off, leaving me with the various boots to choose from.

After a few minutes, I had picked out a durable looking pair of boots. Once I pulled out a box that held the shoes of my size, I made my way over to the check-out counter.

When I set the box down on the counter I heard a person approaching from behind me. "Well that was fast," a voice commented. It sounded like the employee that helped me. Glancing over my shoulder confirmed my guess, the employee was making his way over to me.

"Are you the only one working?" I inquired, a little surprised to see him yet again.

The guy just shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head. "Yeah, it's normally pretty quiet around here." He stepped around the counter to begin checking out the boots. "I'm Mike, by the way." I supplied my name in return, and once my purchase was finished I picked up my bag and was about to walk out of the store. Mike's voice stopped me though. "Hey, so uh, you probably don't know too many of the others around here, do you?"

"Nah, not yet. I haven't been here long." I knew Seth and Paul, but that was about it, and I wouldn't exactly say that my run in with them was enough to really get to know the two.

Mike seemed to already know my answer to his question would be along those lines, because he nodded expectantly. "Well, a group of friends and I are planning on heading over to the beach the day after tomorrow, you could always tag along." He pulled a pen out and began to write on a scrap of receipt paper. "Here, my number, shoot a text my way and we'll see you then?" He was asking me with a hopeful tone in his voice, and truth be told I was pretty surprised that he was extending this offer to me. But I've been needing something fun to happen, and he was asking me to hang out with a group of people around our age.

It was as good of a chance as any to make some friends for the summer. So, I smiled at Mike and accepted the slip of paper, slidding it into my sack. "Actually, that sounds like a lot of fun, thanks!" I wouldn't pass up an invite to spend time at a beach anyway, so I was looking forward to this. Mike said something along the lines of 'see you there' or 'see you later', and I turned to walk out the door and start the drive home. Hopefully, if the weather stayed how it was, I'd be able to walk the trail as soon as I got back home and get some use out of these new boots.

 **~Jake's POV~**

My shift on patrol had just ended, but I wanted to stay phased as a wolf for a little longer. In this form I had a better sense of smell, and I wanted to see if I could pick up that scent from a few days ago.

If I could just come across a meager trace of the smell, I'd be alright with it. I was just desperate for any indication that whoever the scent belonged to hadn't left town.

 _Geez Jake, you're practically obsessed with finding that smell,_ Leah's voice cut into my mind. _You've been looking for it each day and nothing has turned up. What if you had just imagined it?_

I mentally growled at Leah and she quickly got the hint to stop talking. I hadn't imagined that scent, if I had then maybe I would've been able to stop thinking about it. That scent has been on my mind almost constantly since the day I had come across it.

Before too long I found myself at the cliff, standing on the spot where I had last picked up the scent. I inhaled deeply, almost pleading for the faintest trace of the scent to be lingering on the air.

A low, frustrated growl rumbled through me as I picked up absolutely nothing.

As I was about to leave, I felt someone phase into a wolf. I instantly recognized it as Seth. He wasn't supposed to be on patrol until tonight, so why did he just phase? An urgent and cautious feeling emanated from him, and upon feeling it I instantly tensed.

 _Seth,_ I began, _what's going on?_

Seth was quick to answer. _Paul and I ran into someone strange at the store in Forks. I don't know what it was about her, but her scent… it wasn't completely human._

My muscles locked into place as I registered what he said. Leah joined into the conversation, _She wasn't another human and bloodsucker hybrid, was she?_

 _No, she's not part vampire,_ Seth answered. I felt my muscles relax slightly at that, and I could tell Leah relaxed too.

Embry, who was on patrol with Leah, chimed in. _So if she's not part leech, then what is she?_

Everyone was silent at that, contemplating the question Embry had just asked. What else could possibly exist? More importantly, was it a threat?

 _Meet up at my house,_ I ordered, _We're having an emergency pack meeting. Let the others know._ The three accepted my orders without hesitation as I turned and quickly made my way home.

It wasn't long before I reached my house. Before I exited the dense tree line I phased back and untied my pants from around my leg to pull them on. As I made my way through the front door, I heard someone a little ways behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw it was Jared and gave him a quick nod in acknowledgement. He returned it, and I made my way to the living room with Jared not far behind me.

Only a minute later, other pack members started to file into the room. I was anxious to know what Seth and Paul had seen, and I could tell the others were as well. Seth's and Paul's scent washed into the room as soon as they walked through the front door. There was a miniscule trace of an unfamiliar scent that was carried into the room with them, and I noticed some members of the pack breathe in deeply. Almost instantly a look of confusion crossed over their faces. Curious, I inhaled deeply as well, wanting to catch the unfamiliar scent wafting in the air. When I did so, I felt my senses snap to attention and my shoulders tense.

Sea salt and lotus flowers.

Albeit faint, I would recognize that scent anywhere.

I jerked my head to look at Seth and Paul, who were now standing in the living room with the rest of the pack. "Where did you come across this scent?" I asked him, my voice deeper than normal.

Seth noticed the change in my voice and looked at me with a quizzical expression, but proceeded to answer my question. "It belongs to some girl. We picked up on it almost as soon as we walked into a store in Forks. We asked her a few questions, but she left pretty quickly before we could ask too many."

Now Paul spoke up, "She seemed on edge near us. It was like she could tell that we were different somehow-"

"And she did _not_ like Paul, but big surprise there," Seth interjected with a teasing smile, bantering with the other guy. My eyes narrowed as they shot over to glare at Paul, who was growling slightly at Seth's joke, but Seth hadn't finished speaking yet. He had turned to look at Paul as he continued seriously, "You were staring her down, so who could really blame her?" My hands curled up into fists, fingernails digging into my palms, but I paid no attention to it. My focus was on Paul.

"Because she wasn't human!" Paul growled, defending himself against Seth. "At least she answered some of our questions before she took off."

Curiosity peaked in me, enough so that I unclenched my fists. "What did you find out about her?" I asked, eager to hear what they had to say.

Seth answered for Paul, and I listened attentively to every word he said. "Her name is Alexis. She's staying with her aunt, Dianne, who lives near the reservation."

"We scouted around Dianne's house just to check if she was really staying there," Paul informed, "and what she told us checks out. Alexis's scent is pretty strong there." I absorbed every word they told me about her… about Alexis. Finally I had a name to put with that addicting aroma _and_ I knew where to find her.

Embry had been listening quietly up until this point. "Earlier you said she wasn't completely human…"

"Did she show any visible signs that she wasn't human?" Sam asked, his voice stern and low.

Seth shook his head. "No, the only way I could tell was by the way she smelled." I inhaled a deep breath, trying to pinpoint what he was talking about.

I hadn't noticed anything strange with Alexis's scent before, but as I focused on finding anything off about it, there it was. It was hard to detect but it was there. However, instead of feeling tense or hostile towards this fact like the others were, I felt intrigued. Questions bounced around in my mind after finding out for myself that she wasn't human. Were there others like her? If there were others then would she leave them for me? How would I even convince her to choose me over them?

"Jake, what do you want us to do?" Embry asked, suddenly breaking me from my thoughts.

Jared cut in now, offering a suggestion. "We could corner her, try and scare her into telling us what she is-"

"No," I thundered, effectively cutting Jared off. That earned me a few questioning stares from the pack, but I ignored them. "We will do no such thing. For now we do nothing but observe. We'll take shifts, I want someone tailing her at all times."

"Are you sure that's the best thing to do? What if she's a threat?" Paul questioned.

Sam answered for me, his voice calculating and authoritative. "If she's a threat then we wouldn't know what we would be up against."

I didn't like how they were talking about Alexis so I decided to speak up in her defense.  
"We shouldn't jump to conclusions. We don't know what she is, she could turn out to be harmless for all we know." Paul scoffed at that, but other than narrowing my eyes and glaring at him I ignored it. "We haven't had any problems with whatever she is before, so they aren't our enemies. There's no reason to piss off whoever these guys are and cause any unnecessary problems." The pack silently processed my words, contemplating them.

"Have any of you picked up a scent similar to hers before?" Paul asked, looking around at the members of the pack. None of them said anything, indicating that they haven't. "So then it's just one of her kind against our whole pack. Those are pretty good odds." I barely held back a growl from tearing through my throat.

"We will _not_ harm Alexis," I spoke slowly, my voice dangerously low and laced with anger. Sam registered my anger and gave me a questioning look, and I'm sure my anger didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the pack. I didn't care though, all I was focused on was protecting Alexis. Paul's eyes locked with mine as he stayed silent, and I didn't break eye contact as I glared at him. After a few moments, however, Paul conceded and averted his eyes to look at the ground.

Sam decided to ignore my anger for now, but I'm sure he would question me about it after the meeting. He turned to face Paul, "If we harm her we could give her kind a reason to hold a grudge against us. There may be one of whatever she is now, but that could always change. We don't need to create any unnecessary enemies." Paul clenched and unclenched his fists but nodded, still avoiding the glaring and intense gaze I had yet to take off of him. I finally looked away from him when Sam's voice was directed at me. "Who do you want to take the first shift to watch Alexis?"

"I will," I replied instantly. "This meeting is over."

It took a moment for everyone to register the abrupt end to the meeting, but they diligently began to file out of the room, casting a few puzzled expressions my way. Sam came over to my side as everyone left. "Jake, may I have a word with you?" I nodded, already knowing what he was going to ask me. Once everyone had left, he continued. "What had you so worked up earlier?"

"I don't want Alexis hurt," I responded in a low voice.

Sam eyed me for a moment, seeming to choose his words carefully. "We aren't going to, we might cause problems for the pack if we did. But the way you were acting, it was like you were being protective of her."

I answered easily and without hesitation. "I was." Sam's eyebrow quirked up upon hearing my response but he didn't say anything about it, choosing to nod instead. "I'm going to start my shift," I informed him, indicating that our conversation was over.

Quickly I made my way outside and into the tree line surrounding my house. I reached my hand into my pocket to pull out a string, then proceeded to take my pants off and tie them around my leg with the string. Once that was done, I easily phased and bounded off towards the general area I believed Dianne's house was located.

When I passed the edge of the reservation, I began to draw in deep breaths. Because I didn't know where exactly Dianne's house was, I would have to rely on Alexis's familiar scent to lead me there. It wasn't long before I caught her scent wafting on the air. Abruptly, I turned and advanced towards it. As I drew nearer, the scent got stronger.

In a few minutes I came to the edge of the tree line, a house standing before me. She had definitely been here, her aroma was hanging on the air in ample amounts. This scent was so addicting for me, I couldn't help but to fill my lungs with it each time I breathed in. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't mind drowning in this scent.

Because I was so distracted with her smell, it took me a minute to realize that Alexis wasn't at the house. Without thinking I instantly began to search for more of her scent, hoping to be able to track her. Excitement jolted through me when I found her scent on a trail, leading away from the house. A need to know where she was tugged me along the path, as well as the curiosity to finally see a face to pair with her scent. I moved quickly along the path, my ears perked for the sounds of her footfalls.

Alexis's scent eventually came to a fork in the path. I knew one direction led to the cliff that overlooked the ocean, and the other deeper into the woods. Just from the thicker concentration of her scent in one particular area, I could tell she had hesitated, but taken the path leading deeper into the woods. At this fork in the path I didn't hesitate like she did. My feet led me along the path she took, following her aroma diligently. Her scent was getting stronger now, telling me that I was getting closer.

I was about to phase back so I wouldn't startle her as a wolf – and so that I could speak to her – when a faint breeze carried an all too familiar scent to me, causing me to stop dead in my tracks. My heart skipped a few beats as I registered the unmistakable stench.

Vampire.

There was a filthy _leech_ near Alexis.

The hair on my back rose up as a deep growl rumbled through me. I tilted my head back and let out a howl, alerting the other members of the pack of the vampire, and in the next instant I was bounding off towards the bloodsucker. Predatory feelings coursed through me, kudos to the natural instincts of the wolf in me, but I had a different reason to catch this vampire than I normally felt.

I had to protect Alexis.

 **~Alexis's POV~**

 _*A little earlier*_

Almost as soon as I had gotten back to Dianne's and carried in the groceries, I had the hiking boots I had purchased out of the box. After lacing them up I let Dianne know I was going for a walk, and began to walk along the trail. I had walked for a while, and that was how I now found myself standing before a fork in the path. To be honest, I hadn't even noticed this the last time I had walked this trail.

I knew the path veering off to the right would lead me to the cliff, that much was apparent from how the trees looked like they began to thin out in that direction, but where would the other go? The trees looked as though they would only get denser if I went this way. Curiosity tugged me towards the unfamiliar path, and before I knew what I was doing my feet had started to carry me along it.

I was right, the trees seemed to grow even thicker along this path, closing around the trail and casting shadows onto the ground. Dappled sunlight, that had managed to shine down to the ground through the thick foliage, danced along the earthy ground. It gave the illusion of being underwater, of how the sunlight would be cast through and move with the water. It was actually pretty calming.

After about a mile down the path, chills suddenly ran down my spine. Surprised, my footsteps faltered as I glanced around me, growing very aware of my surroundings. I didn't see anything but dense foliage growing abundantly on either side of the path I was walking. Slowly, as I listened carefully to the forest, I began to move forward again. There should've been noises of the birds in the trees or of squirrels running from branch to branch, but there was nothing. It was eerily silent.

Try as I might, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. My eyes scanned the landscape around me, but I didn't see anything other than the vegetation. Normally that would've been enough for me to calm my nerves, but with the forest being so thick and dense I couldn't help but to think it was hiding something.

I was probably over-reacting to the silence of an unfamiliar area, but the goosebumps that suddenly raised on my skin kept me feeling on edge. If what I was feeling wasn't foreshadowing something, then I don't know what I was experiencing. My mind had stopped working, all thoughts frozen as I once again scanned the area around me with my eyes, trying to spot something. Again, nothing.

In order to compensate for my mind's lack of thinking, my body decided to make decisions for me. Just as my legs began to carry me further down the path, away from whatever eerie feeling was turning my blood to ice, I felt a brief, cold breeze brush against my back. But as I glanced around, I noticed none of the leaves on the trees had moved from this breeze. It was almost as if there had been no movement in the air at all.

Just then, I felt a strong shudder climb up my spine. I let out a shaky breath I didn't even know I was holding. That's it, I had enough of this. Hastily, I turned around so I could make my way back the way I came, but I came face-to-face with a person instead.

I gasped, more out of surprise than anything, when I saw his pale face. I hadn't even heard him come up behind me. Upon seeing my reaction, he smiled coyly.

If I could only use one word to describe him, it would be 'alarming'. His unflawed skin was insanely pale, as if it had never once seen the sun. The way he held himself made him seem deadly; his tense shoulders were set forward as he towered over me. Rock-hard muscles lined his arms, and I could see him flexing and unflexing them.

The most unsettling thing about him were his eyes. My breathing hitched as my eyes found crimson eyes, the color of fresh blood, staring almost hungrily back at mine. Just staring into those dangerous eyes made my head start to pound and my stomach churn uncomfortably.

Seeing my reaction and the effect he had on me, the man flashed me a perfect smile. "You look like you've just seen a ghost, child," he cooed, stepping closer to me. I was quick to take a step away from him, trying to maintain the distance between us. He merely chuckled upon seeing this. "I can assure you, you haven't seen a ghost," he continued, his voice dropping to a quiet whisper, "You're seeing something far worse."

My eyes widened at his words even though I had no idea what he was trying to imply. Before I could say anything a blur of motion stunned me, and I felt a stinging sensation on my arm. Looking down, I saw blood seeping from a fresh cut.

The man brought my attention back to him as he chuckled yet again. "Forgive my lack of manners, I just couldn't help myself. You smelled absolutely divine." He spoke as he brought his red fingers up to his mouth. I felt wave of horror rush through me as I realized my blood stained his fingers. It didn't go unnoticed by me when his pupils dilated as he tasted my blood.

"You're sick," I whispered hoarsely, repulsion laced into my voice. This only earned me a chuckle from him as he closed the distance between us. My feet fumbled as I tried to move away from him, but I didn't get far before he suddenly had a hold of me from behind. I hadn't even seen him move, he was that fast.

"And you're delicious," he answered, murmuring into my ear. I shuddered when I felt his breath hit my skin, and the pounding in my head turned into thundering. My head felt like it was under immense pressure. Without meaning to I let out a small whimper. It was so _painful_. "I am curious to know," the man continued, "just what exactly you are? If you would be so kind to tell me before I drain you…" He left his sentence trailing.

I felt my face contort with confusion upon hearing his words. "What I am?" What was he talking about?

My hair was pulled in a borderline gently way, causing me to expose my neck to him. "Your scent, as delectable as it is, isn't normal. Surely you know this?" He practically purred into my ear. When my silence answered him, he shook his head in a pitiful manor, his lips brushing against my skin. "I was really hoping you would tell me quickly. That way I could just get on with my meal…"

Before I could even begin to question what he had meant by that, I was suddenly thrown to the ground with enough force to knock the air out of my lungs. My head hit the ground hard, leaving my head throbbing. Too dazed to move, the pale man was able to take his time making his way over to me. When he reached me, he crouched and grabbed a hand full of my hair, wrenching my head up. "This is your last change, child," he growled at me. "You're going to die either way, but you have the choice to give yourself a quicker, more merciful death. Choose wisely."

Even through the hazy state of my mind, my body still acted for me. My hands skimmed the ground for something, _anything_ , to use against him. A flood of relief washed through me when one of my hands found a rock.

"Go to hell," I told him, my voice defiant. Without any hesitation I swung quickly at his face with the rock in hand.

Before it could make contact with his face however, an icy, marble-like hand snatched my wrist. Well crap, that didn't go according to plan. "Wrong choice," he spat, anger twisting the features of his face into something menacing. I couldn't help but to let out a small cry as the grip he had on my wrist tightened painfully, enough to surely leave a mark.

Just then, an angry sounding howl rang through the trees. I barely processed it through the pain on my wrist and the pounding in my head, but the man froze upon hearing it. It was probably my imagination, but it looked as if a flicker of fear danced through his eyes. In an instant it disappeared, replaced by the anger that had been on his face earlier. "I'm not done with you," he snarled at me, leaning in closer. "You're now my prey, and I'm not done with this hunt. You'll be seeing me again, child."

And just like that, he disappeared.

I tried to scan the forest around me for him but the relentless throbbing in my head was causing me to see spots. Scared, I attempted to draw in deep breaths, but instead drew in short, shaky ones. I could feel myself starting to lose hold on consciousness as black started to cloud the edges of my vision.

A loud, thundering of what sounded like footfalls of a bunch of large animals came from my side. Slowly moving my head to see what it was, my heart skipped a beat. What I saw absolutely terrified me. If I was scared before, I was absolutely petrified with fear now. Snarling wolves, as large as horses, came into sight just before they bounded past me and disappeared from sight. Only one remained behind, and it was the largest one in the group.

It was staring at me, its eyes unwaveringly trained on mine, as its nostrils flared. "Oh shit," I whispered, my voice shaky. Those wolves sure didn't look friendly, and I was lucky that I had gone unnoticed by the others, but even just one of these larger-than-life wolves was enough to finish me off.

I stood no chance.

When this thought came to mind, the pounding and intense pressure in my head finally became too much for me to handle. Almost thankfully, I let myself slip into black oblivion, away from the fear and pain.

 **~Jake's POV~**

I could easily smell the vampire before he was in sight, but I was set severely on edge when I noticed Alexis's scent now mingling strongly in the air with the vampire's stench. Thanks to my howl earlier I had probably given him a heads up that my pack was aware of his presence, but I wasn't all that concerned over that. His scent, hanging thickly in the air, told me that he was nearby. With his scent this fresh we would easily be able to track him for miles.

By now a few members of our pack had phased to wolf form and I quickly briefed them on what I had scented out. I could tell I wasn't the only one that was frustrated our frequent patrolling wasn't enough to catch this leech before he made it this far into our territory; the only reason we detected him was because I had happened upon his scent while tracking Alexis. Upon thinking of her yet again I lifted my head to inhale more of the vampire's scent as I continued to propel forward. I noticed a sharp, metallic tang in the air, and once I realized what it was I felt a large weight drop in my stomach.

Blood.

Albeit it was a faint trace, if I could smell it then that leech sure as hell was getting a good whiff of it. If he hadn't found Alexis by now, he would definitely come across her before long. With renewed vigor I surged forward, my feet flying across the ground. Embry and Jarod appeared at my side and began to sprint alongside me. I barely even acknowledged their presence as we drew closer to the leech.

After a matter of moments, we broke through a small barrier of trees and onto a trail. The vampire wasn't far from us at all now. Just as I was about to take off in the direction the vampire had gone I heard a sharp intake of breath off to the side of the trail. My eyes darted over to the source and locked with a pair of wide, sapphire blue ones. Simply meeting the gaze of these memorizing eyes caused me to freeze. My heart either began to pound heavily in my chest or stopped beating altogether; I couldn't tell which.

Those blue orbs seemed to draw me in, inviting me to come drown in the oceans reflected in them - even if I wanted to, I wouldn't have been able to look away to allow myself a gulp of air. My knees suddenly felt like jelly and threatened to buckle underneath me. It didn't help that my world was spinning wildly beneath my feet - my entire universe readjusted itself to center around her. I could barely manage to remain standing on my paws as I continued to hold the gaze of the person in front of me.

Instinctively I inhaled deeply to draw in the scent that I had quickly become addicted to, practically swooning at how strong her aroma was. I remained rooted to where I stood, too captivated and overrun with emotion to move.

My tail gave a few wags as a single thought managed to present itself in my muggy, swarming mind; this was her – Alexis. After all my searching I had finally found her, and I'd be damned if I ever lost her. There was no way I was going to lose track of her, not after all that effort I put into finding her. She was mine, and I would willingly do anything for her without a moment's hesitation.

As I was reveling in this thought I barely managed to notice that her lips parted as if to speak. My ears snapped towards her so I'd be able to catch her melodic voice. I hadn't even her speak before, but I'm sure her voice could easily rival that of an angel's. A pit of dread swelled in my stomach, however, when I heard the fear laced into her words. She may have been whispering, hell it was more like whimpering, but the words "Oh shit" didn't escape my heightened senses. I heard a whimper come from my own self at the thought that she was afraid, and not at the vampire. Sure she was probably scared then, but she's scared now at the sight of me. It didn't set well with me; I was mortified by what I was seeing.

My imprint – my entire reason for existence - was quivering in fear in front of me.

The thought of phasing back presented itself in my mind. If she was so terrified of my wolf form then I'd gladly shift out of it. Just as I was about to do so I noticed her eyes begin to look clouded - dazed almost. Panic surged through me as concern over my imprint had me so overwhelmed I continued to stay frozen in place. When I realized that she was losing consciousness I quickly phased out of my wolf form and darted over to her side, reaching her in a few short strides.

When I reached her I noticed the scent of vampire was all over her. My entire chest constricted as the air left my lungs. That _thing_ had touched Alexis. It had come so close to her, it could've easily bitten her…

Instantly I checked over her for any bites from that filthy, bloodsucking leach. Waves of relief washed over me when I found none, yet bile rose in my throat when I spotted blood slowly seeping from a small gash on her arm.

A vicious growl tore through me as I snapped my gaze up to where that leach and my pack members disappeared. That god-damned vampire had hurt _my_ imprint. If I had been a little slower in finding Alexis… Rage seethed through me as I began to shake viciously.

There were no words that could explain how badly I wanted to track that bastard down and tear him to shreds myself. If it weren't for Alexis laying on the ground in front of me, I probably would have already bolted after him. I had to inhale deep breaths in order to calm down, but no matter what my mind jumped back to the thought of that leech _touching_ Alexis.

Seeing that deep breaths weren't helping me calm myself, I tried a different tactic. My gaze snapped down to Alexis and, not being prepared to see such… _perfection_ , I sucked in a sharp breath. Instantly I felt myself calming down as I took in her features.

Once I knew I was calm enough to handle her without hurting her, I gently brushed aside a few strands of golden blonde hair out of Alexis's face. I doubted I could take her back to her house without rising suspicion from her aunt, so I decided I'd just have to carry her to Sue Clearwater's house. With Sue being a nurse and all, I knew that she'd be able to look over Alexis and tend to her for me.

Having decided this I picked Alexis up as carefully as I could manage. A soft whimper escaped her as I did so. "Hey, you're alright," I whispered to her softly, "You're safe now." I straightened and began making my way to Sue's house as quickly as I could.

Despite the circumstances, I couldn't help but to notice how _right_ it felt to have Alexis in my arms. Nothing I had ever experienced could compare to the feeling of her skin against mine. I glanced down to my imprint and smirked when I saw that she had snuggled herself closer to my warm skin. One thing was for certain – now that I had Alexis, I sure as hell wasn't going to give her up. I didn't give a damn if she apparently wasn't a normal human, she was absolute perfection to me. There was no way I was going to let anyone take her from me. "I'll stay by your side," I murmured to her gently, "I'll keep you safe. Always."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey look at that, I actually updated this thing…**

 **I've been such a butt when it comes to writing and updating this story, that's all my bad. Ironically enough, I remember at one point I said I'd try and update frequently…. We can see just how well that went. Sorry for the crazy long hiatus, but here's this chapter that I whipped out for you guys, if you're even still following this story. Let me know through messages, reviews, smoke signals, or however you choose!**

 **I'll try to get better at this whole "don't wait so ungodly long to update" thing**

 **I also went back and edited, tweaked, and added to the past chapters, so it might help to reread. Y'all might have to reread anyway, since it's been so long you might have completely forgotten what's happened; and I don't blame you guys, I pretty much forgot too lmao**

 **~Alexis's POV~**

Unconsciousness's hazy black veil slowly began to lift, yet at the moment I couldn't bring myself to open my eyes or move my limbs. I could easily, however, register how crappy I felt.

My mind was drowsy, but that was nothing compared to the aching feeling radiating throughout every inch of my body. My joints felt stiff, chills ran along my skin, and overall I felt pretty much just awful. I could feel a soft throbbing emanating from my head.

 _What happened to me?_

My thoughts were interrupted when I felt something warm envelop my hand. I struggled to open my eyes to see what it was, but I ceased my efforts when I felt it begin to gently trace circles in my palm. It was… calming, to be honest. The warmth countered the chill on my skin so well that I pretty much welcomed the contact. A similar source of warmth settled on my cheek, startling me, but I let out a soft sigh as it began to trace my jawline.

It was this contact that helped me to tune – hazily – into my surroundings. It was like watching a TV with poor signal; the image and noise was fuzzy, but clear enough to grasp an idea of what was occurring. A few hushed voices were conversing near me, one of which was a deep tenor that seemed to be close by my side. I strained to make out the words of the conversation but I could only pick up bits and pieces. The voice closest to me was the easiest to hear. "…been an hour, and… out cold." As I listened to the progression of words spoken as a response, I felt myself growing more alert.

"She's going…alright," another voice responded. "Go get a glass of water for her."

Whatever was beside me seemed to hesitate for a moment but ultimately got up and left, and with it the warmth that I had been feeling on my cheek. I waited for anything to happen – the other person to talk or do something - but it seemed as if whatever had been going on around me had ceased and left me to my thoughts.

Well, if that's the only way I can figure out what happened, then I guess I have to try and remember on my own.

I groggily tried to dig through my memory and rack my brain for any clues as to how I ended up in this condition. I was unfocused, so it was difficult to do at first, but after a little prodding on my part I managed to open the flood gates and everything came pouring back.

The first memories to tumble through my mind were those bone-chilling shivers, the pounding in my head, even the petrifying fear and traces of pain. As awful as those were, they paled into insignificance when images abruptly raced in my head of a pale, flawless man. He looked so perfect, as if he were an angel, but the penetrating stare of those red eyes radiated pure viciousness. I could vividly recall the predatory hunger emanating from his gaze.

 _"_ _You'll be seeing me again, child."_

That was not the last I would see of that man. He planned on finding me again, and when he did he planned to finish what he started. Chills raced down my spine as my heartbeat picked up – undoubtedly from my newly found panic, and my own pitiful whimper made its way to my ears through my muddled senses.

 _"_ _You're now my prey, and I'm not done with this hunt."_

It suddenly felt like I couldn't get enough air – like my lungs were filled with water. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't draw any air into my lungs. I could feel my body struggling for a simple breath, which sent a flurry of panic through my mind.

Apparently, panic is a damn good way to wake yourself up.

My muscles jerked just as my eyes finally flung open. Everything was blurry at first, but with each lung-full of breath the blurriness went away and a woman's concerned face came into focus. It took me a moment to notice that her lips were moving, but I wasn't paying much attention to her. Instead, I was looking around the room as I tried to figure out where I was, barely registering her words. "…hit your head pretty hard, I'd take it easy if I were you." I didn't recognize the room at all. "Hey," the woman called softly, trying to catch my attention. "How are you feeling, Alexis?"

My head snapped over to her at the sound of my name. She looked like a very sweet woman, full of kindness and a playful youth. Her hair was jet black, other than a few white strands, and it framed her tanned, russet colored face. I didn't recognize her, but she somehow knew who I was. Apparently my blank stare must have made her realize her slip of the tongue, because she gave me a warm smile and began to explain herself. "You're Dianne's niece, right?" I nodded. "I figured you were her, I heard you were in town." She stopped talking when we both heard some commotion somewhere else in the house. A few moments later, heavy footsteps rushed over this way. "Well," the woman half sighed, half chuckled, "someone heard you were awake, I should've known he'd hear from across the house."

She ignored my confused glance her way, which only frustrated me. I didn't know where I was, who these people were, and truth be told I barely understood what all had happened earlier to land me here. Fed up, I began to push myself up into a sitting position, to which the woman came over and began to caution me that I 'needed to be careful' and I was probably 'still needing a few minutes to recover' and whatnot. Well, she ignored me, now it's her turn. I stubbornly pushed myself up just as the door burst open, startling us both.

"Jesus, Jake," the woman exclaimed, "at least try not to scare us half to death." I glanced over my shoulder at the newcomer, Jake, from what the woman said, and raised my eyebrows in surprise. He looked just like the two from the store – same haircut, same tattoo, same crazy huge muscles… hell, it was like someone just grabbed a copy machine and started cranking out a bunch of copies of these guys. The only thing noticeably different with this one was that he looked a hell of a lot bigger and dominating. That, and his expression was different. He wasn't staring at me with any suspicion or hostility like the others before. No, there was not a trace of hostility written on his face, his eyes were just unwaveringly trained on me. He – Jake, I mentally reminded myself – hadn't moved from his position in the doorway, hand still on the doorknob and a glass of water in the other hand and all.

It was starting to get really uncomfortable with his staring at me with that weird look on his face, so I was thankful when the woman cut in. "Jake, this is Alexis. Alexis," she motioned over to the guy who had yet to move, "this is Jake." I did a half-hearted, lackadaisical wave at Jake. That seemed to snap him out of whatever trance he was in, but I kinda wished he had stayed frozen rather than taking a few quick strides over to me.

It looked like his legs or whatever gave out, because he dropped to his knees by the bedside a foot or so away from me. "Here," he said to me, raising a glass of water my way. His voice sounded hoarse and, maybe I imagined it, but it sounded oddly huskier than when I had heard him earlier – before I had woken up. At least, I was assuming he was the same guy from then. I murmured my thanks and reached for the glass, noticing that this guy was so tall that even though he was on his knees, he still managed to be eye-level with me. With his insanely close proximity, it was easy to see that this guy kept drawing in deep breaths, which was a little odd… maybe he was just out of breath from rushing over here.

Either way, I was ready to get out of here and get back to Dianne's house.

I was about to voice as much when the woman came up behind Jake and put her hand on his shoulder, yet he didn't seem to notice. "Jake here carried you to my house, you looked a little worse for wear when he brought you to me." This guy carried me? Holy crap, maybe _that's_ the reason he's out of breath… I mean, I'm sure I'm not ridiculously heavy or anything, but still! The woman noticed the surprise on my face and gave me a sweet smile. "I'll just leave the two of you, I'm sure Jake will fill you in on what happened." With that, she walked out of the room and I was left with the man who was almost literally a giant.

When I looked over to him expectantly, he drew in a quick breath. "Right, so," he began, but paused for a few moments, as if he were trying to figure out what to say. I decided to help him out a bit.

"Last thing I remember, I was hiking a trail in the woods," I noticed that the moment I opened my mouth, I had his undivided attention. Not that I didn't seem to have that anyway, I don't think Jake's eyes left me since he opened that door. He must be staring because I have twigs or leaves in my hair from that earlier incident, I probably look like a mess. My hand shot up to finger brush through my hair, hoping to get rid of whatever debris must be tangled in it. Other than a bunch of snarls, there wasn't anything.

After a pause, Jake cautiously got up and sat a foot or two away from me on the bed. His voice was deep with… tension? "Was that the very last thing you remembered? You can't recall anything else?" It almost seemed as though he were fishing for something, probing and prodding for a bit more information. My mind flashed to that beastly man with red eyes and to the massive wolves, sending a shiver down my spine. Jake seemed to notice, because a concerned look crossed his face. He wouldn't believe me if I told him, I doubt anyone would. They'd think I'm crazy, and I sure as hell didn't need the title of 'the new, crazy girl in town.'

I settled with shaking my head, "No, I don't remember anything else. I was just walking when everything went black." He didn't look convinced, so I kept elaborating. "I think I was just dehydrated, I honestly don't know what happened."

Unpleased with my response, Jake just sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Well Alexis, if you really were just dehydrated, you should start downing that glass of water." Oh, right, I forgot I was holding this. I dutifully raised the glass to my lips and started sipping on the liquid. His eyes were watching my every move, but when they flickered to my hand with the water, those brown eyes narrowed and the guy looked pissed. A deep, low noise came from him; it sounded as though he was growling. Puzzled, I glanced to my hand to see what made the man so mad. My hand looked fine, but the black and blue around my wrist made me gasp. I didn't realize the ghostly pale man from earlier had left this noticeable of a bruise from when he had grabbed my wrist.

Crap. I don't know how I was going to explain this marking to Dianne, or to this guy beside me for that matter.

"You sure you don't remember anything else?" Jake slowly asked me, his voice low and seething with anger. What, was he pissed at me? Well in that case I should really get going, making a monster of a man mad at me isn't exactly the smartest thing I could do.

"Um yeah," I mumbled as I made to get up. The moment Jake registered that I was standing up, he stood too. Dang, this guy just towers over me, if I'm making him mad then I should hurry up and get out of here. I glanced around for a place to set the glass, but upon seeing nowhere, I just turned to Jake. "I'm sorry I can't help with anything else, but I gotta get going. Thanks for your help. Here," I was speaking quickly and handed him the glass as I began to walk past him and over to the door.

"Wait, Alexis," he instantly reached out and grabbed my hand, but his grip was soft and gentle, as if he were trying not to hurt me, "let me take you back to your place." I was about to object, but Jake quickly spoke up before I managed to. "You don't know your way around the reservation, you could use some help." He was speaking softer than before, and it was apparent that he held some concern for me.

He had a point that I could use some help, but I was a little hesitant to show this guy where I lived. "I could ask the woman that was in here earlier," I said as I shrugged.

Jake looked confused and offended all at once. "You want Sue to take you home?"

"Or I could just ask directions and find my way," I continued. There were plenty of ways to get back home without telling this guy where I lived.

Jake just sighed and shook his head, "Yeah you could do either of those, but it'd be easier to just have me do it since I'm right here."

"Sue's just out there," I pointed with my thumb over my shoulder.

He was quiet for a few moments, studying me with a partially hurt expression on his face. Quietly, I heard him say, "Do you really not want me to be the one to show you back to Dianne's house?"

Ah. He knew my aunt. And therefore already knew where I was staying then. Well, no harm in letting him take me back then, since he seemed to be well aware of where I was living. I just sighed and said, "No, no, it's fine if you show me the way to Dianne's." At this simple statement, Jake seemed to be satisfied.

"Alright, well c'mon," he turned and lead me out of the room. As we walked through the cozy house, we passed the kitchen. Sue was there, along with a handful of other copies of the tattooed, muscular guys. The guys all were studying me, some with curiosity, others with a hint of apprehension. Jake paid them no mind and brought my glass over to Sue, who just smiled over at me and said it was nice to meet me and that she hoped I felt better. I thanked her and continued following Jake out of the house.

There was only one car out in the driveway, which I assumed was Jake's, but he lead me over to a motorcycle instead. I felt my eyes widen when I realized I was basically going to have to cozy on up with this guy to keep from falling off as he drove. Great. Jake, upon realizing the conclusion I had just come to, merely smirked as if the whole thing were funny to him. He just handed me a helmet, "Here, you should put this on before we get going. I don't want you hitting your head again."

 _Yeah, well I don't exactly want that either_ , I thought to myself as I accepted the helmet. Jake's ridiculously warm fingers brushed mine as he passed me the headgear, and I strapped it on. After a moment, he put his own on and swung his leg over, now sitting on the bike and waiting for me to do the same. I had to hold onto his shoulder as I swung my leg over, worried that I would miraculously lose my balance and fall over. He didn't seem to mind, and just waited for me to sit behind him and put my arms around him. I just lightly placed them on his sides, and I felt him laugh lightly before he gingerly grabbed my hands and moved them so my arms were wrapped more tightly around him. "You'll want to hold on more than that," I heard his amused voice saying. All I could really focus on was the immense body heat radiating off of him… as well as the fact that this guy was rock solid with muscle. Were all the guys on this reservation tattooed, muscled guys like Jake? That was the pattern I was beginning to see, at least.

I didn't get to dwell on this thought much longer, because Jake had started the motorcycle and was beginning to drive off in what I could guess was the direction of Dianne's house.

 **~Jake's POV~**

Words could not describe how great it felt to have Alexis's arms wrapped around myself as I drove her back home. I knew that if I drove faster, the time I would get to spend with her this close to me would be shorter, but it was when I pressed harder on the gas that she seemed to hold me tighter and press herself up more against my back. I was all too happy to do what I could to make her hold herself closer to me, but damn I wanted to draw this ride out as long as I could. It was for that reason that I took as many turns as I could, hoping to use the longest possible route back to Dianne's.

I couldn't keep from replaying the images of her when I had first walked into the room. I know that I had already seen her and looked into her eyes already, but I felt the same as I had with the initial effect of looking into my imprint's eyes back on the trail. I guess it was because she was fully awake and because she finally got to look into my eyes with perfect clarity. I'm not sure, but I don't mind the shock that I felt when I saw her again. I'd never mind it. If that's what I would feel every time I looked at what was mine, I wouldn't complain.

I'm just glad that she seemed to be okay. I was worried about her while she was still out of it, laying unconscious in Leah's bed. She recovered quickly, and hopefully that bruise on her wrist would heal quickly, as well as that gash on her arm that Sue had wrapped.

That bruise. The one that the leech had left on her.

That bastard had hurt my imprint. He had hurt what was _mine_. And he had got away. He was still roaming around out there, where he could hurt her again.

I could feel myself just barely beginning to shake with anger, and I subconsciously started to speed faster along the road with my rage. Which, of course, just made Alexis hold on to me even tighter. The feeling of her worked magic on me, calming me and putting me into this feeling of bliss.

I would protect her, nothing would ever hurt her again. I would look after her diligently.

All too soon, we arrived at Dianne's house. Alexis must have been gone for a while, because at the sound of my motorcycle pulling up to the house, Dianne was out on the front porch waiting for us. She looked confused when she saw me, but when she saw that her niece was behind me, I noticed that she tensed slightly. Her eyes kept darting between me and Alexis, who was dismounting my bike. I followed suit.

"Hey, thanks for the ride," I heard Alexis say from behind me. I turned around completely to face her and smiled down at her. "And," she continued, somewhat quieter, "for everything else. For bringing me over to Sue's house and all."

I nodded, "Don't worry about it." As she made to move past me, I reached out and stopped her. "I'm just glad you're okay." Alexis looked up at me, and after a brief moment gave me a small smile that did wonders to me.

"Yeah, me too."

And with that she passed me the helmet she was holding and walked past me and up the stairs, where she warmly greeted Dianne and went inside. Once she was gone, Dianne closed the door and walked over to me. "What happened," she asked me tensely.

I decided to use the same excuse Alexis gave me. It would make it easier for her to cover up what happened if I stuck to the same story she seemed to be using. "Alexis was hiking, got dehydrated, and fainted. I took her over to Sue Clearwater's until she got better."

Even before I finished speaking, Dianne was shaking her head. "No, Jacob. Tell me what happened."

I quirked my head to the side. Did Dianne know something else was going on? She was just another resident of Forks, so she couldn't… I just shrugged my shoulders and replied, "That's what happened. Ask Alexis."

Dianne studied me for a moment or two, then sighed and thanked me for bringing Alexis back. As she began to recede back to the house, I mounted my bike and started for home. As soon as I got back, I was going to ditch the motorcycle, phase, and come back here to keep an eye on my imprint.


End file.
